Method of and means for marking and ornamenting tableware



(No Model.)

W. H. LECTA'I'E.Y METHOD OF AND MEANS EUR MARKING AND ORNAMENTING TABLEWARE.

No. 584,895. Patented Feb. 26. 1895.

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Usern raras arnisr @errent VILLlApM H. LEGATE, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MARKING AND ORNAMENTING TABLEWARE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 534,895, dated February26, 1 B95.

Application led July 13,1894. Serial No. 517,895. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t Wawy concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. LEGATE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMethods of and Means for Marking and Ornamenting Tableware, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, whereby any oneskilled in the art can make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to providean improved means and apparatusfor marking articles of table `ware and of cutlery the process involvingthe use of stamps for outlining and of electricity for etching theletters, ligures or characters to be delineated on the surface marked.

To this end my invention consists iu the method or process of markingmetallic articles and in the several devices and combination of devicesfor marking as more particularly hereinafter described and pointed outin the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure lis a detail top or plan view of anapparatus for practicing my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view invertical transverse section through the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a detailview in end elevation of the apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings the letter a denotes a table or basepreferably of wood; h,

` `a support for holding the article to be marked,

the support in this case consisting of the rods h', b2, having shallowsockets in their upper surfaces to receive and hold a table knife, as myinvention is described herein in connection with an apparatusparticularly adapted for marking cutlery, although the invention isequally applicable for marking and ornamenting other articles whether ofcutlery or table ware, or for ornamental purposes.

The rods b', b2, are of metal and are insulated, the former resting onstrips of insulating material c which are held on the guidesd on thetable. A metallic conductor e is removably supported at a slightdistance above the surface at the point where the mark is to be etched,and in the form of device shown these conductors consisting each of asmall block of copper are supported from a rodf by the arms g whichproject from the standards 71, fixed on a carriage i. This carriage issecured to a slide 7c that by means of a feed screw Z is movable towardand from the row of knives. This form of device is convenient where anumber of articles as knives are to be marked with the same character,symbol or subject matter and for other articles any convenient form ofcarriage may be provided,

it being necessary that the conductor e should pole of the battery isconnected to the rod,f, on which the conductor c, is supported.

In a convenient position, preferably along the front ot' the table,there is a guide p on which a slide p is movably supported, anadjustable arm extending from this slide supporting a stamp q. By meansof this stamp the character or figure to be etched is outlined on thesurface of the blade bypressing the stamp down upon the surface whichhas been treated with a special varnish, the surface of the stamp havingbeen wiped with a solution as hereinafter described. The copperconductors e are withdrawn at the time the articles are successivelystamped. and then the stamp being moved out of the way, asindicated inFig. l of the drawings, the carriage is moved forward and the conductorsarranged directly over the imprint of the stamp on the surface.

The marking upon the surface of the metallic article is accomplished bythe use of an electric current and to prepare the article for marking bythis process the surface is treated with a varnish preferably made ofthe following ingredients: To one gallon of naphtha add two ouncesloi-sulphide of carbon, two pounds of pulverized resin, and one andone-half pounds of chloride of copper. A thin layer of this varnish isspread across the surface and the stamp having been washed with a weaksolution of wood potash is then pressed down onto the varnished surface.The surface of the varnish where the stamp has touched it is thentreated with a weak solution of sal-arn moniac by means of what istermed in the IOO - stantially as described.

trade a goose, which is an implement allowing small quantities of thesolution to be dropped upon the surface. The copper con ductors are thenarranged as described and the current turned on with the result that thesurface of the liquid lying on the plate is lifted into contact with thecopper conductor and the surface of the steel or other metal cut away bythe action of electricity. The etching operation is one of comparativelybrief duration and the current being turned off the knives are removedand dipped into a solution of caustic potash or sal-soda to Wash off thevarnish. The knives or like articles are then ready for the plating4room or for such subsequent treatment as may be desired.

By means of the process described the surface of an article may be cutt0 a sufficient depth to clearly outline any desired figure which may bedelineated by means of a stamp, the design being cut into or etched onthe surface by the action of the electricity.

I claim as my inventionl. The improved method of marking metallicarticles which consists in treating the surface to be marked with aprotecting varnish, then printing upon the varnished surface With astamp treated with a solution of Wood potash, then washing the stampedsurface with water, then treating the stamped surface With a solution ofsal-ammoniac, then connecting up the article to the positive pole of abattery and placing a metallic conductor which is connected to thenegative pole of the battery in close proximity to the varnished surfaceWhere the mark is imprinted and subjecting it to the action of anelectric current, ail sub 2. The improved method of marking cutlerywhich consists in treating the surface of the article with a resinousvarnish, then imprinting a mark on the Varnished surface by means of astamp treated With an alkaline solution, then Washing the surface withWater, and then applying a solution of sal-ammoniac to the markedsurface, then placing the article in an electric circuit, the negativeWire terminating in a block of copper placed adjacent to but out ofcontact with the surface to be marked, the said article being connectedto the positive pole of the battery and then Washing otf the varnishWith an alkaline solution, all substantially as described.

3. The improved method of marking and ornamenting cut-lery and otherarticles of metal which consists in applying a resist to the surface,imprinting the outline of the mark, by removal of the resist treatingthe surface with a solution of sal-ammoniac and then placing a metallicblock connected to the negative pole of a battery close to but out ofcontact with the surface and connecting the article to the positive poleof the battery Wh-ile the latter is in action, all substantially asdescribed.

4. An improved apparatus for marking cutlery which comprises a table orstand, metallic supports for the article, a metallic conductor, as acopper block, supported on a movable carriage and adapted to be heldnear the surface of the article, and an adjustable stamp for imprintingthe surface, all substantially as described.

WILLIAM H. LEGATE.

Witnesses:

CHAs. L. BURDETT ARTHUR B. J ENKINs.

